Dumping-box.



A. J. SHEA.

DUMPING BOX.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB 10, 1913.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20., WASHINGTON, D. c-.

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ANDREW JAMES SHEA, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

DUMPING-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 6, 1914.

Application filed February 10, 1913. Serial No. 747,462.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW JAMES SHEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dumping-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to dumping boxes, and it more particularly relates to a box or body of this character which is especially adapted to be seated upon the running gear of a wagon, automobile or similar conveyance.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong, durable, easily manipulated, easily regulated and thoroughly efficient device of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dumping box of this character from which the load may be instantly dumped, or from which it may be distributed at the will of the operator.

Vi ith these objects in view the invention consists of an improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts of a dumping box, which will be hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically claimed.

In order that this construction and opera tion may be readily comprehended, I have illustrated an improved embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings and will now proceed to fully describe the same, in connection with said drawings in which,

Figure 1 represents a view in side elevation of my improved dumping box, Fig. 2, a vertical sectional View on the plane indicated by the broken line 22 of Fig. 1, and, Fig. 3, an enlarged fragmental sectional view on the plane indicated by the broken line 3- 3 of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

The box or body comprises similar side walls 5, a front wall 6 and a rear wall 7, the front wall and rear walls being provided with brackets 8 which support bearings 9 carrying shafts 10, each of hich has a crank 11 formed at its front end.

The walls 5 extend only a short distance from the top, and flap doors 12 are provided under the walls 0, for closing the space that would otherwise exist between the lower edges of said Walls and the lateral edges of the floor 13. These flap doors are provided with battens 14 which are apertured at their upper ends, so as to form bearings for the respective rods 10, so that the flap doors depend from said rods or shafts 10 and are free to swing outward, so as to open said space between the walls 5 and the floor 18. This floor is supported solely by the end walls only when the flap doors are open, the necessity for supporting the middle portion of this floor being obviated by its self-supporting shape, being raised or ridged in the middle and inclined from the middle ridge to the lateral edges which contact with the lower portion of the respective flap doors. However, when the box is heavily loaded, for instance, with sand or gravel, and traveling over uneven roads or streets, the vibration and weight might combine to cause even this shape of bottom to give down in the middle or other wise fail. In order to avoid such failure, and in order to strengthen and stiffen the lower edge of each door 12, I provide said lower edge with an angle iron 15, one flange of which is secured to the door, by any proper means, and the other flange extends inward, under the adjacent edge of the floor 13, so that any tendency of the floor 13 to sag or give down is arrested by the inwardly extending flanges 16 which constitute substantial supporting elements for the floor. The floor 18 is provided with cross braces 17 to which keepers 18 are secured. These keepers are apertured at 19 for the reception of latch-bolts 20. Each latch-bolt is slidably seated within a housing 21 provided with a slot 22 through which extends an arm 23 of the latch-bolt. Pivotally connected to each arm 23 is a link 24 which is also pivotally connected to an arm 25, carried by one of the shafts 10. Each keeper and the latch mechanism associated there with constitutes a lock, which is broadly designated by the numeral 26 in Figs. 1 and 2, and in practice, I may provide as many of these looks as the special conditions of each case may require. That is, where the box is relatively long, more of the locks are required than for a shorter box of the kind. It is essential, however, that one of these locks be provided adjacent to each end of the flap doors, and that one or more be provided on the medial portion, so that the Weight of the load, pressing laterally against the doors, will not distortthem and cause leakage of the material either at the ends or at the medial portions, The flanges 16 compensate for slight distortion between the latches or locks, so that material cannot waste through the joint between the door and bottom. The latches 20 tend to keep themselves within the apertures 19 by gravity, but in order toassist gravity and to insure engagement of the latches and keepers, springs 27 are provided within the housings 21, which press the latches downward. The housings 21 may be secured to "the battens 14 and also to the sides of the respective doors, so that the danger of their displacement is diminished} In operation, assuming that the box is filled with granular material, it will be seen thatthe pressurev of' 'said material will be 'down'upon the inclined floor, which directs the pressure laterally against the flap doors. Now, in order to dump or unload the material, the cranks 11 are grasped by the operator and pulled laterally inward, so as v to rock the shaft 10 and raise the outer ends of the arms '25, and thereby, through the me-l dium of the links 24L, raise the latches 20 The pressure of the material will ordinarily cause the doors,

out of the apertures 19.

to swing outward when the latch is released, but should the doors stick, or only partly open, the levers 11 are pulled farther inward after the latch is released which will cause the members 23 to contact with the upper walls of the notches 22 and the raising of the arms 25 will cause the doors to swing open. Now, it will be seen that when the inner edge of the flange 16 moves outward beyond the outer edge of the bottom 18, the material will begin to empty from the box, and if it is desired to empty the material instantly, it may be accomplished by pulling the levers inward to the limit of their movement; but, if it is desired to distribute the material slowly, the levers 11 may be operated for regulating the opening between the flanges 16 and the bottom, as desired, as it is obvious that the flanges 16 willoperate to arrest the exit of the material, even when the space between the door and floor is comparatively wide.

I claim:

A dump box consisting of end walls and side walls and a laterally inclined floor supported by the end walls, bearings supported on the exterior, of the box, shafts journaled in the bearings and each having a crank thereon for rocking them, flap doors loosely mounted on the shafts and depending therefrom, arms extending outward from the shafts, elongated housings secured in vertical position on the flap doors, latch-bolts slidably seated in the housings, links connecting said arms with the latch-bolts, and keepers supported by the bottom and extending laterally therefrom and adapted for engagement and disengagement with the latch-bolts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREWV JAMES SHEA.

Witnesses N. W. DIETRIOH, HILDA HONETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

